No Place Like Home
by Rue Des Violettes
Summary: 'Cedes, I don't think we're in Ohio anymore...


**Disclaimer: Glee doesn't belong to me, nor does the Wizard of Oz. **

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Prologue

Being at Dalton was hard work for Kurt. He certainly couldn't complain about not being challenged anymore. With the amount of work he had to do coupled with the insane number of Warbler rehearsals he had to attend, it was a small wonder he found time to sleep. Indeed, as he chatted with his Dad on the phone, he could detect the worried tone in Burt's voice.

"You sure you don't want to maybe leave the singing rehearsals for a while, kid? You sound about as beat as can be." Burt asked him in a concerned voice.

Kurt, surviving on roughly 3 hours sleep a night, immediately bristled at the question and rather irrationally over-reacted.

"You want me to stifle my creativity, Dad? Been having the phone calls again? Can't cope with having a fag as a son?" Kurt spat out, blinded by his tiredness.

"Now, Kurt, you know I didn't mean…" Burt reasoned as Kurt cut him off.

"I'm sorry if I disappoint you, Dad, but at least you have Finn, right?" Kurt snarled down the phone before hanging up.

In his heart of hearts, Kurt knew he was behaving out of character and, well, out of order. Still, if one more person tried to tell him to fit in he'd…

His phone rang, effectively cutting off his thought and he answered it on autopilot.

"Hello?"

"Kurt! How are you? It seems ages since I last spoke to you." The dulcet tones of Mercedes Jones sounded down the line and, to a small degree, Kurt began to relax.

"I'm fine 'Cedes, just a little tired. How are you?" Kurt replied.

Mercedes sighed, "Oh Kurt, I'm having a few issues over at McKinley, Coach Sylvester keeps trying to pull me in front of the school board."

"She WHAT?" Kurt shrieked, "Why would she do that?"

"There was a complication involving a tailpipe and some Tater Tots… anyway, I think they want me suspended." Mercedes gulped and Kurt was certain that she was trying to hold back tears.

"Don't worry 'Cedes, I'm on my way." Kurt grabbed his jacket and started to search for his keys.

"Kurt! Don't you dare, there's a huge storm out there." Mercedes protested but Kurt carried on regardless.

"I'll be there in an hour or so!" He said before hanging up on her. Walking quickly to the car park, he reached his beloved Navigator and slid into the driver's seat. As he buckled his seatbelt, he began to feel guilty for talking to his father like he did.

"I shouldn't have worried him like that; think of his heart." He muttered to himself.

As he reached the main road, his mind wandered to all the times his Dad had stood up for him and accepted his flamboyant mannerisms. When Defying Gravity came on his iPod, Kurt remembered the diva-off and regretted ever having shouted at Burt. As he reminisced, the storm outside raged on, the rain battering his windscreen and the wind howling past the windows.

Suddenly, without warning, Kurt felt the car begin to aquaplane, entering into a skid. Spinning wildly, Kurt braced himself for impact. As he squeezed his eyes shut, he waited for his life to flash in front of him, but instead, he saw a small, chocolate brown dog. Puzzled, he felt the thud of the car stopping and took a deep breath.

Opening his eyes, he looked at the seat next to him. There sat the dog.

Kurt blinked.

The dog stared resolutely back.

As he reached a hand out to pet it, the dog gave him a look. A look that clearly said, "Pet me and I'll cut you."

Kurt gulped, although the dog tag said 'Toto', he was almost certain that the dog was… Mercedes.

He tried to lift the dog but found that it was deceptively heavy. He hauled it onto the floor beside him before opening the door and climbing out, letting Toto/Mercedes follow him. Slamming the door, he took a good look at his surroundings before opening his eyes wide.

" 'Cedes, I've got a feeling we're not in Ohio anymore."

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**Please tell me what you think. I took some liberties with the timeline so Kurt was already at Dalton when Mercedes started her Tater Tots crusade!**

**XOXO Vi**


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